benefits help please

[gardenbeachsand]

Hello, I hope someone can help with advice please. And just better insight.

I was on the old style benefits but I had to fill in paperwork every year to stay on these benefits.
Unfortunately the last few months my minds been else where and I was too late when I filled in the forms and now my account has been shut down.

Ive been advised to apply to universal credit but dont get it.
also ive recently changed jobs.

My old work was two jobs, one self employed and one employed. total hours a week was no less than 16 hours.

My new job is only 5 hours contract but the opportunity with overtime to have more hours.
The self employment job i wasnt making a profit and since starting the new job my mind is with that, and im not doing well with the self employed one.
Would i be able to stop the self employed one and just apply to UC with one job.
There is the offer of overtime at the moment but my contract is only 5 hours.

I enjoyed the self employment job but rather keep it as a hobby.

Also with the old benefit i had help with the rent and prescriptions and council tax.

I have a personal matter coming up and i might need to go to court with ex husband and i need to know what money i have coming in over the next few months to see if i can afford a solicitor.
I am beating myself up a bit not filling the paperwork out on time.

Im always on my kids back to do their own homework on time and i need to take my own advice haha.

Hi OP I advise on benefits among other things.
Have you claimed universal credit yet? If not you should claim ASAP and if you want help with any questions you have, you could contact citizens advice via phone or web chat: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/universal-credit/claiming/helptoclaim/

Claiming UC when self-employed is slightly complicated so it would probably be best to end your self-employment and focus on your main job, since you were thinking of doing that anyway.

How old is your youngest child? Do any of your children have disabilities and get DLA?

I assume you were on child tax credits (and perhaps working tax credits too?) as well as housing benefit?

@AnotherEmma

Hi OP I advise on benefits among other things. Have you claimed universal credit yet? If not you should claim ASAP and if you want help with any questions you have, you could contact citizens advice via phone or web chat: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/universal-credit/claiming/helptoclaim/

Claiming UC when self-employed is slightly complicated so it would probably be best to end your self-employment and focus on your main job, since you were thinking of doing that anyway.

How old is your youngest child? Do any of your children have disabilities and get DLA?

I assume you were on child tax credits (and perhaps working tax credits too?) as well as housing benefit?

Hi, No i havent claimed yet, i just had a phone call this morning. Things are being posted out, so may take a few days. I would rather get it sorted cause i do have a habbit of when something to too hard i put my head in the sand!

my youngest child is 13 and no disabilities.

Yes i had child and working tax and housing benefit. although i havent had anything apart from working tax i think since i had a letter that my account was suspended then the phone call this morning about my account has been closed.

hi, with UC would i still need to go to the job centre as i have a job?

Did you get a phone call about your tax credits, or your housing benefit?

If you're no longer working 16 hours a week, you wouldn't be entitled to working tax credits any more (only child tax credits) so you might find that you're better off on UC anyway.

Please be aware that on UC, you will be expected to work 35 hours a week or earn the equivalent of 35h/w at NMW (currently £1351/month gross) and if you don't earn that month you would be expected to try and increase your hours/earnings.
www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/new-to-universal-credit/your-responsibilities/

If they have only just stopped your tax credits, you could try requesting a Mandatory Reconsideration to get them reinstated, but as I said it would probably just be CTC and not WTC that you'd get.

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/help-if-on-a-low-income/working-and-child-tax-credits/help-with-your-tax-credits-claim/renewing-your-working-and-child-tax-credits/#h-if-you-miss-the-deadline

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/help-if-on-a-low-income/working-and-child-tax-credits/tax-credits-appeals/challenging-a-working-tax-credit-or-child-tax-credit-decision/

Good advice from Emma above.
You could always give yourself a bit of peace of mind by running a benefit calculator
www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators
You may be better off on UC anyway so get your application in as soon as possible.

Citizens Advice have a helpline for people in your situation.
www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/contact-us/help-to-claim/

It is important that you contact your local council to tell them that your tax credits have been stopped but that you want to continue claiming housing benefit and council tax reduction. They will want information from you (about your earnings etc) so be prepared to provide copies of payslips, bank statements etc.

It is important to do this even if you claim UC, because your HB will be paid for 2 weeks after you claim UC, and you can continue to claim CTR while you're on UC.

UC is great.. claim it now